[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 15, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S182-S183]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING THE STENNIS CENTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, the Stennis Center for Public Service 
is a legislative branch Agency with a congressional mandate to attract 
young people to careers in public service, provide training for leaders 
in, or likely to be in, public service, and offer training and 
development opportunities for senior congressional staff, Members of 
Congress, and other public service leaders.
  A strong civil society is the foundation of a free society and 
essential for our republican form of government to work. That starts 
with public service minded individuals identifying problems and working 
together to solve them. This aspect of our society astounded Alexis de 
Tocqueville when he traveled our country in the early days of our 
Republic and compared what he saw to his native France.
  But, as Ronald Reagan observed, ``Freedom is never more than one 
generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in 
the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for 
them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling 
our children and our children's children what it was once like in the 
United States where men were free.''
  Part of perpetuating a free society is encouraging civic minded 
thinking and actions. So I am glad that the ``Public Service Review,'' 
produced by the Stennis Center for Public Service, features stories 
from young leaders who are making a difference in their communities. 
The publication, available on the Stennis Center's website at 
www.stennis.gov, recognizes and highlights examples of young people 
engaging in public service.
  I am particularly proud that the entire summer 2024 edition 
highlights the Legislative Practice Center at Drake University Law 
School in Des Moines, IA. I encourage everyone to read this edition of 
``Public Service Review'' and learn about how, for 25 years, the Drake 
Law School Legislative Practice Center has equipped students for public 
service careers by blending rigorous academic training with invaluable 
hands-on experiences. You will hear from staff and students in the 
Legislative Practice Center, learn about prominent alumni of the 
program now working in public service, and read about prominent Iowans 
working in public service, with stories written by the students.
  The Drake Law students featured in this edition of Public Service 
Review include:

       Carter Forrest
       Witt Harberts
       Haley Ledford
       Laura Book
       Natalie Sherman
       Charlotte Miller
       Zach Goodrich
       Taylor McDonald
       Zach Engstrom
       Tom Ashworth
       Bernardo Granwehr
       Jacob Shrader
       J.T. Harris

  I congratulate them on this recognition and thank them for their 
dedication to public service.

[[Page S183]]

  

                          ____________________